The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a gem near downtown Dallas. Spanning five floors, this museum features exhibits about natural history and science — some with hands-on discovery.
The Perot Museum sits in Victory Park and is a merger of the Dallas Children's Museum, The Science Place, and the Dallas Museum of Natural History. The Museum Foundation received a $50 million donation in 2008 from Ross and Margot Perot's children and named the museum in their philanthropist parents' honor. Featuring the designs of award-winning architect Thom Mayne, the Perot Museum opened on December 1, 2012, with some members of the Perot family present.
Affectionately called the dinosaur museum of Dallas, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science exhibitions bring out the wonders of science, nature, and technology, thrilling and educating people of all ages.
Your Guide to the Must-See Perot Museum Exhibitions
The museum has plenty of must-see permanent exhibit halls full of interactive stations that let you move, play, and learn your way through science and nature. Here are nine exhibitions you won't want to miss.
1. Discovering Life Hall
The Perot Museum in Dallas is the perfect destination for anyone interested in nature, ecology, biology, and the planet. At Discovering Life Hall, you can play with an interactive digital book about microscopic organisms and get interactive with displays about the changing climate.
For more fun, crawl through the underground diorama and test your identification skills with the animals, plants, and sounds found in local Texas ecosystems. This amazing exhibit teaches about the diversity of life and how much more there is to discover.
2. Lyda Hill Gems and Minerals Hall
If you love shimmering gems, make a stop at the Lyda Hill Gems and Minerals Hall. This exhibit space is full of colorful specimens from around the world — with some that you can touch. Check out the grape jelly amethyst geode, guess the weight of the Dragon's Lair gold piece, and see the incredible journey of the Eyes of Africa. To further investigate these gems, join the Lyda Hill scavenger hunt as you search for gems from six continents.
3. The Rees-Jones Foundation Dynamic Earth Hall
Get ready to feel the shake with the interactive Earthquake Shake exhibit. This platform simulates an earthquake rumbling across the surface, demonstrating how plate tectonics works. Another popular exhibit at the Rees-Jones Foundation Dynamic Earth Hall brings the power of the wind indoors. You can reach in to see how a tornado funnel cloud forms and feel its force as it grows.
For those budding camera stars, step into the limelight to report on the weather and prepare for life in the studio. The dynamic earth makes a powerful subject!
4. T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now Hall
The T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now Hall is the ultimate dinosaur exhibit in Dallas, featuring mammoth fossils, recreated dinosaur skeletons, special exhibits, and learning labs. You can even enjoy virtual dinosaur habitats for a view into life millions of years ago.
Don't forget to check out the skeleton of Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum, a new species that Perot paleontologist staff discovered while working in Alaska. See what life was like in Dallas at the time of the dinosaurs, and test your skills with the T. Boone Pickens scavenger hunt. Want to see scientists in action? The Paleo Lab dino exhibit lets up-and-coming kid scientists peek behind the scenes at what staff paleontologists are uncovering.
5. Rose Hall of Birds
This exhibit hall features colorful bird displays and stations that teach the wonders of bird flight, courtship, and journeys across time. The Rose Hall of Birds has interactive exhibits to build a bird and use 3D glasses to watch it fly, investigate nesting materials, and see how birds choose their mates.
You can even take part in the Tournament of Flight, a simulation exhibit where you mimic bird flight and maneuver through rings on the screen. Beat the highest score to win.
6. Expanding Universe Hall
The Expanding Universe Hall invites guests to explore the solar system and distant galaxies with an interactive stargazing adventure and hands-on exhibits. This hall has plenty of displays that test your knowledge of physics and show you the most important inventions. For more hands-on learning, try out your skills on an obstacle course — but be quick!
7. Tom Hunt Energy Hall
Whether admiring the full-size Roadster or testing out the magnetic effect of a tokamak device, you'll find non-stop action in the Tom Hunt Energy Hall.
This extensive exhibit hall invites guests to map out underground oil wells, find the oversized drill bit, and turn wellhead valves. Apart from oil and natural gas energy sources, the exhibit looks at alternative energy sources and how they're shaping the world. There's even a real-time display showing how much energy the museum uses each day.
8. Moody Family Children's Museum
Perfect for early childhood visitors, the Moody Family Children's Museum brings different features of the Perot Museum into kid-size range. Explore the farmers market fruit and vegetable stands, find terrarium animals from the Trinity River wetland corridor, or get creative at the Art Lab. This exhibit engages young minds and lets even the youngest learners enjoy the day.
9. Lamar Hunt Family Sports Hall
Sports enthusiasts love exploring the exhibits at the Lamar Hunt Family Sports Hall. From testing your speed to perfecting your technique with high-speed cameras, you'll learn while keeping your eyes on the game.
Other interactive displays show how fast reflexes work and what you need to do to reach peak health. This exhibit hall is all about science, health, and athletic prowess.
Explore the Perot Museum at a Discounted Rate
From dinosaurs to shimmering gems, there's a world of wonder in North Texas. Make your way to Dallas and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science exhibitions with Dallas CityPASS® tickets that save up to off the cost of admission to four of the top things to do in Dallas. It's time to have fun learning!
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Booking.comHeader Image Courtesy of Perot Museum of Nature and Science